I believe this is a picture of another blogger, Garance Dore, and she is very fancy. I am not very fancy, but I did like the way une femme described this blogger's gray jeans outfit as "simple, sleek and sophisticated."
I have a pair of gray skinny jeans (from the Gap) myself -- they are a few years old now and you may have seen them when I talked about my winter capsule wardrobe last year. I have always worn them in very casual outfits, like so:
And I like that look well enough, but it was getting a little old. So I appreciated the push to try to dress up an item that I've always thought of as resolutely casual.
Here's what I came up with.
My gray jeans are very low-rise and a quite skinny cut, so I prefer them with longer tops. My white button-up shirt (J. Crew, thrifted) works well with the pants proportion-wise, and the tuxedo-style pleats help lend a dressier feel to the outfit.
My gray jeans are very low-rise and a quite skinny cut, so I prefer them with longer tops. My white button-up shirt (J. Crew, thrifted) works well with the pants proportion-wise, and the tuxedo-style pleats help lend a dressier feel to the outfit.
I can put either my charcoal gray long cardigan (Allude, via Ebay) or my black one (Lord & Taylor, also via Ebay) over top. Both are soft cashmere in a fine-gauge knit, so they also look relatively refined (the pictures are flattening out the color differences, but I promise, they are not entirely interchangeable in real life.)
I especially like the black cardi, something about the crispness of black and/or white really dresses up the jeans.
I am not one for strappy stilettos like Ms. Dore, but I consider a nice ballet flat "sleek and sophisticated" enough for me. Not the most practical footwear for winter, admittedly, but doable on the occasional dry, warmish day.
So this challenge ends up providing a good chance to get a little more wear out of those gray flats I thrifted a while back (we discussed them here), as well as a pair of photographic-print floral flats that I recently purchased (Ted Baker via Lord & Taylor on deep, deep discount -- no, I did not need them in any way, but I believe they are what is known as a coup de coeur).
So this challenge ends up providing a good chance to get a little more wear out of those gray flats I thrifted a while back (we discussed them here), as well as a pair of photographic-print floral flats that I recently purchased (Ted Baker via Lord & Taylor on deep, deep discount -- no, I did not need them in any way, but I believe they are what is known as a coup de coeur).
To the gray flats outfit I added this floral scarf (Echo, vintage, via Ebay) for a little more color. I love the print on this and somehow it helps the outfit avoid the 80s associations that pink and gray usually bring up for me.
I realize these are not so much different outfits as minor variations on the same one, but I'm glad to have a new way to wear an item that was already in my closet. I'm on the lookout for a tunic-length black pullover sweater -- I think that would also pair well with the jeans and have a similar, polished vibe. And I can see a few possibilities for creating similar outfits with items that are in some of my other seasonal color palettes.
How about you, have you discovered any new ways to wear old favorites that are brightening up your January?
I like the grey jeans--and no, I have no new ways. My January uniform has been regular jeans or grey jeans with a cashmere turtleneck--black or grey--worn over a short-sleeved T. I'm good and tired of it, but it's so easy and warm and comfortable. All my January requirements. I confess the first thing I thought when I saw your picture with the flats was that my feet would be freezing!
ReplyDeleteWarm and comfortable is paramount this time of year. And soft! We must have softness in January. Your "uniform" sounds scrumptious. Maybe there's a long necklace or two you could throw over the turtleneck to make you feel less tired of it? I'm imagining you with a set of chunky, red carved beads. Or a 70s-ish owl!
DeleteYou know, when I wear flats this time of year I usually wear nude knee-highs. It makes a surprising amount of difference, warmth-wise. I know that sounds super dorky, but I don't even care, it's worth it!
I really like the two new ways to wear the grey jeans --- definitely a dressier look than the first outfit, and I think it balances out the skinny jeans very nicely. Like Rita, I've not strayed from my winter uniform --- blue jeans and a long sleeve T and a cardigan ...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marian. Jeans/tee/cardigan sounds like a great winter uniform. Why mess with success? (Unless you are restless and fickle like me!) Somehow I have you pegged as a Chuck Taylors girl in the footwear department, no? Or is it all klompen all the way?
DeleteOh, your reply made me laugh out loud, Sarah!! And then, of course (!) I had to google Chuck Taylor footwear!! So, no Chuck Taylor for this girl, in other words ;) . I have one pair of dress shoes (black flats), one pair of regular shoes (black Clark's), one pair of winter boots (big clonky Columbias) and one pair of sandals (Keene's, which I wear all summer and well into the fall, when I wear them with *gasp* socks!). My daughter mistakenly bought a too-small pair of Van's last year, which in theory are now mine (but I've never found the occasion to wear them because apparently with one pair of Clark's and a pair of sandals I am covered ;) ). She also left behind a pair of Tom's which she said I could have, but so far I haven't had occasion to wear them either! I fear I'm such a disappointment in this area ;) .
DeleteI love my Chuck's. But not in winter. Not warm enough.
DeleteMarian, next time you are tempted to put on socks + your Keens, try the Vans instead.
DeleteThen, send your daughter my email address so she can thank me.
(This is really meant to be gentle ribbing so I hope you will receive it that way! ;-) )
Rita I agree on canvas tennies in winter -- I don't feel like Chucks are quite "me" but I have a pair of slip-ons that I wore the heck out of last summer.
I never would have thought I'd have so much fun discussing fashion! I actually laughed out loud at the "send your daughter my email address so she can thank me" part ... because ... wait for it ... my daughter wears socks with her Birkenstocks :) . (And sometimes the socks are white ankle-length sport socks!) (I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree ;) ).
DeleteSkinny jeans are actually a rather new favorite for me - I bought me first pair from Lands End this fall. I'm liking the long over lean silhouette with ankle boots - similar to your outfits above, but warmer than flats and maybe a little bit more rock n roll :) I also like to wear them with a longish buttondown shirt peeking out under a shorter pullover.
ReplyDeleteAs for a new way to wear an 'old' favorite, I've also managed to wear my red 7/8 pants from summer/ fall this way with the ankle boots to stretch them into the winter season.
Glad you are enjoying playing with a new silhouette, Kerry. You know, I have never worn my skinny jeans with ankle boots. Oddly enough, it's because I always thought that the look where people roll up the jeans to just above the ankle boots would leave me too cold. Which is silly in light of your pointing out that ankle boots are warmer than flats, and also in light of my comment to Rita above. ^^^ So now I must face the fact that the real reason is that I am not that rock n roll! :-)
DeleteAnd I'm liking the idea of red 7/8 pants with ankle boots. I feel like I rarely see ankle boots worn with colored pants, that sounds really nice.
Lol. I've been really drawn to more rock 'n roll looks these days - I think my bit of bohemian style has somehow morphed into something more edgy. And I love the 60s slim pants looks these days - my ankle boots are sort of that sleek early 60s style. I haven't been rolling my jeans up with the boots. I've always hated that look of skinny jeans all bunched up at the bottom, but oddly enough that's how I've ended up wearing them. 7/8 pants work well if you like showing a little sock, which can be fun.
DeleteI wear ankle boots all the time! I guess they are my winter flats. :-) And I'm definitely not very rock n' roll.
DeleteOkay, I need to try skinny jeans + ankle boots again and experiment a bit, you've convinced me, Kerry!
DeleteRita I think you ARE rock n roll (or at least: takes no shit, which can kind of look similar sartorially).
Kerry you need to start a style blog, I would read the heck out of it and I bet Rita would too.
I'd love to have a great new blog to read. :-) I'm taking less and less shit every day, and if that reads as rock 'n roll, I'll take it.
DeleteI love how you brought new life to your gray jeans and dressed them up! I don't have any gray jeans but I keep admiring them on others and I'm thinking I may need to try a pair!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shea! Gray jeans have definitely been really useful in my wardrobe. Not quite as uber-versatile as blue, but a nice change. I recommend! That first link in my post to une femme d'un certain age has a roundup of various gray jean options currently available -- some designer, but some more budget-friendly too IIRC.
DeleteThis is so great! I love how Pinterest gave new life to an item for you, and I love how you took the things you liked about the possibly too "fancy" outfit and made it work for your style. So chic with that button-down!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anne! It's been unseasonably warm here, so I actually wore the outfit with the floral flats yesterday. Love it!
DeleteAlthough I also discovered that I seem to have worn a hole in my gray jeans. Darn it! (Literally, in fact -- darning the hole is exactly what I am going to have to do next.)